Children's home run by PCT Care Services Limited in South Norfolk

Inspection report children’s home: SC479645 1 SC479645 Registered provider: PCT Care Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to six children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned by a private company.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 12 December 2017

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

At the full inspection on 12 December 2017, inspectors identified significant concerns about the leadership and management of the home and the children’s safety. The home was subject to suspension of registration, and compliance notices were served relating to regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. The suspension of registration and the compliance notices were monitored at this interim inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged inadequate at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is subject to suspension of registration. At the time of this interim inspection, the inspectors found that the provider is complying with the suspension and that no children were accommodated at the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Ofsted served two compliance notices following concerns raised at the full inspection in Inspection report children’s home: SC479645 2 December 2017. The inspectors found that the provider has failed to take sufficient action to address the steps set out in the compliance notices. In addition, the provider has failed to meet five of the nine statutory requirements set at the full inspection. A further three statutory requirements could not be tested as no children have been accommodated.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The compliance notice served in respect of regulation 12 required the provider to take steps to improve practice at the home in relation to the protection of children. The provider has taken action to address concerns that have been raised by children before they left the home. Some staff training has taken place in respect of managing challenging behaviour, whistle-blowing and understanding the emotional responses that can be triggered for staff when they are dealing with challenging behaviour. However, discussion with staff members and the review of records show that there is a lack of understanding of the procedures to follow when a child goes missing. One child left the home in the early afternoon on the day he was due to be taken to a new placement. The manager failed to respond appropriately or recognise the child’s potential anxieties and increased vulnerability. The child was located later on in the local vicinity by the

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

responsible individual who had arrived to drive him to his new placement. The manager failed to act to ensure his safety and well-being.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider has instructed an external company to undertake a fire risk assessment of the home. Although the risk assessment has been undertaken, it has not been shared with the staff. In addition, fire risks that were raised by inspectors following the full inspection have not been addressed. Some of the fire doors are not compliant with fire standards and the external stairway remains hazardous. This is a further breach of the regulation. Insufficient action has been taken to ensure that the home can provide a safe physical environment and that the staff are well informed about how to manage and record incidents of the children going missing.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The compliance notice served in respect of regulation 13 required the provider to:

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

 ensure that rigorous recruitment checks are in place for every employee  ensure that managerial oversight of the home is professional, robust and challenges shortfalls  ensure that the statement of purpose is accurate and understood by all managers and staff and that the care offered in the statement of purpose is provided in its entirety to the children accommodated  deploy qualified, experienced and skilled staff effectively to meet the children’s needs on every shift  provide the staff with the training and mentoring that they need to enable them to care safely for the children  provide appropriate scrutiny and review of staff members’ practice to identify concerns and take immediate action. A manager from the sister home has undertaken a review of recruitment records, re- interviewed the staff to determine suitability and followed up on missing records of Inspection report children’s home: SC479645 3

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

recruitment checks. This audit demonstrated that none of the recruitment files were compliant with the regulations. This had not been identified by the responsible individual at the point of recruitment and it had not been identified by the manager at the home, who has since left, or the independent visitor at the time. Despite the work that has been undertaken, some gaps in the records remain.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The statement of purpose includes inaccurate information about the staffing of the home. It falsely states that a counsellor is available. There is no manager appointed to manage the home on a day-to-day basis. Recruitment is under way. However, the current situation is that the staff do not have regular oversight, support and direction from a manager. This follows a period of poor management that led to significant shortfalls. The staff team is largely not qualified to the required level 3 and many team members do not have previous residential childcare experience. Although the staff are not outside the timescales to achieve the required qualification, the team lacks experience underpinned by knowledge, good support, induction and training. The staff have not had regular supervision to support them in their roles. Training records are unclear. For example, the records on personnel files state that the staff have first aid

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

training. However, the certificates do not make clear that this training is, in some cases, a 20-minute online course rather than a practical course. It is therefore not known whether there are sufficient numbers of appropriately trained staff to ensure the deployment of at least one first aider on each shift. The responsible individual has failed to update the statement of purpose. This is a further breach of regulation. Because of these failings, the home is not in a position to provide safe, effective care for children or to help them to achieve positive outcomes.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is in a state of disarray. The provider has asked the staff to make changes to the physical environment by undertaking a house inspection and compiling a refurbishment plan. Works have started on each room with no clear plan and without skilled tradespeople. This has left a number of patchy and incomplete repairs carried out to a poor standard. The refurbishment costings are minimal and do not realistically provide the resources to make the required changes to the home. The home is not in an acceptable state to provide children with a homely and nurturing environment at this time.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some work has been undertaken to update systems and processes so that they are ready to implement to capture children’s views, wishes and feelings. However, the actual communication with the children about the imminent closure of the home and their subsequent moves was extremely poor. The children were not given explanations by the staff and asked the independent visitor to let them know about their placements at the home ending. The registered manager and responsible individual have failed to ensure that the moves were managed sensitively with consideration of the impact on the children.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Inspectors identified an issue at the last inspection relating to staff smoking on the premises, providing poor role-modelling to children. The provider has taken action to reinforce to the staff that smoking on the premises is not permitted. Smoking cessation programmes for adults and for children have been identified. However, there is no clear Inspection report children’s home: SC479645 4 policy on smoking. During the inspection, there was evidence found indicating that the staff continue to smoke on the premises.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider has taken some action to address practice issues, relating to the way in which the staff manage challenging behaviours, through discussions with staff. However, since the last inspection, there has been a further incident of staff using physical intervention to achieve compliance from a child. This shows a failure to understand the thresholds for the use of physical intervention and a lack of skills to de-escalate negative behaviour by other means.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

As the registration is suspended, there have been no children admitted to the home since the last inspection. Therefore, the process of matching and compatibility risk assessments cannot be tested.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some work has been undertaken to introduce improved systems and processes to manage medication. Competency workbooks have been devised, to ensure that staff members are able to confidently and competently administer, store and record medication. However, medication was found at the home, by the manager from the sister home, that had not been disposed of correctly. In addition, the records of medication for the children who have since left the home were inaccurate. This is a further breach of regulation and does not give assurance that the staff understand how to manage medication effectively and safely, which poses a risk of harm to children.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is not able to offer the care set out in the statement of purpose or to provide a safe and nurturing environment in which children can thrive.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Ofsted will consider whether further enforcement is required and action will continue to monitor the service.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/12/2017 Full Inadequate 27/09/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 02/06/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC479645 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children and use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child and enable the child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i)(ii)) 23/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who develop positive relationships with them, engage with them and take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare, and help each child to express views, wishes and feelings (Regulation 7(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)) 23/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that the health and well- being needs of children are met.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 10(1)(a)(2)(a)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular regard to ensuring that there is a clear policy setting out the expectations of the staff who smoke, where they are permitted to smoke and how they need to act as 23/02/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC479645 6 healthy role models for the children. The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on mutual respect and trust and an understanding about acceptable behaviour.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone and de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(iv)(xi)) 23/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child, and have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)) 23/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to: lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; ensure that the staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(f)(h)) 23/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)) 23/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose 23/02/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC479645 7 under review and, where appropriate, revise it and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child, and a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23(1)(2)(b)(c)) 23/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that fire risk assessments are adhered to and that fire doors close. 23/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety and that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(3)(d)) 23/02/2018

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well Inspection report children’s home: SC479645 8 it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC479645 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: PCT Care Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Old Hall Farm, Silfield Road, Silfield, Wymondham, Norfolk NR18 9NH

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Inspectors

Deirdra Keating, social care inspector Louisa Bayley, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC479645 10 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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